The Daily Cruise and Travel News "Podcast" with Tom Drake · Tom Drake

March 17, 2026 Happy St. Patrick's Day! MSC gets creative in Scotland!

·36 min·1 clip

My goals are simple: have fun and be successful. I have that in the podcast (top 5%), the travel business (decades of earned relationships), and standup (known as someone who gets it done).

Tom Drake, a veteran travel advisor and podcaster known as the "guru of the seas," hosts this daily news episode on St. Patrick's Day. He shares industry updates, personal anecdotes, and promotional details for his travel business. The episode features a mix of cruise news, commentary, and comedic interludes, including a segment from the late Irish comedian Hal Roach. MSC Group's Cruise Division has acquired a production studio in Edinburgh, Scotland, to create MSC Creative Studios. This facility, set to open by July 2026, will house 11 dance studios, six vocal studios, and an aerial rehearsal space for developing onboard entertainment. Drake reflects on the historical shift from independent production companies, like Jean Ann Ryan Productions, to cruise lines bringing entertainment development in-house. He recalls the exceptional 1999 production of "Hey Mr. Producer" on the Norwegian Sky, which required all performers to sing live under an agreement with Cameron Mackintosh. Drake claims most modern cruise ship singing is lip-synced to tracks, with productions now relying more on LED walls and AI than vocal talent. Victory Cruise Lines is investing $5 million to renovate its two ships, Victory I and Victory II, before the 2026 season. The founder, John Wagoner, repurchased the line after a conglomerate failed with it, and the refurbishment includes new windows for a grill restaurant and a complete exterior repaint. Drake details his frustrations with Explorer Journeys over a client's denied request to upgrade a status match from silver to gold tier. He is simultaneously preparing for a group cruise on the Crystal Symphony departing April 2nd from San Juan to Miami. Drake also discusses contracting a public relations firm to pitch a trade magazine article about his expertise to mainstream media. A memorable moment involves Drake reading the list of honorary pallbearers at Nat King Cole's funeral, which included Frank Sinatra and Robert F. Kennedy, prompting him to humorously muse about planning his own funeral for prestige. He shares an anecdote about a publicist based in Dubai who was unconcerned about a fire at the Burj Khalifa, noting locals "are not looking up all the time." The episode includes a "Question of the Day" segment where Drake sarcastically responds to a travel advisor seeking an Alaska cruise exclusively for 80-year-old singles without families. He promotes an 11-day New Year's Eve cruise on Crystal Symphony for 2026, organized through his agency, Best at Sea Tours. The tone is highly conversational, candid, and digressive, blending industry news with unfiltered personal opinion and promotional content. Drake's style is opinionated and anecdotal, often featuring humorous asides and self-deprecating remarks about his own rants or age. Listeners interested in candid, insider perspectives on cruise line operations, entertainment, and the travel advisor business will enjoy this episode. Those seeking a tightly edited, purely news-focused podcast or who are averse to political asides and personal anecdotes might prefer to skip it.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Daily Cruise and Travel News "Podcast" with Tom Drake